‘Absolute Madness’
Thursday, 17 July 2008
Councillor Michael Coyle, Chairman of the Limavady DPP; and the Mayor of Limavady, Brenda Chivers; with Chief Inspector Stephen Cargin, and Divisional Commander of The Northern Ireland Fire Service Willie Lynch, answering questions at the emergency meetin
CHIEFS at Limavady Borough Council, Limavady District Policing Partnership, the PSNI and the Fire and Rescue Service gathered at the town's council offices last Thursday on an emergency stance after a family of seven's home became the 106th fire to hit the town since the beginning of the year.
The Doherty's Coolessan Walk home was targeted in the early hours of Thursday morning after arsonists armed with flammable liquid, pushed two gas cylinders up against a coal bunker in the family's back yard.
Thugs poured the liquid, thought to be petrol, into the coal bunker before setting it alight and cowardly making their exit from the potential murder scene. All seven family members luckily escaped unharmed after being woken by the blazing back yard fire at around 5 am. Police are treating the arson as attempted murder.
Speaking at the town's Council offices on Thursday afternoon Chief Inspector Steven Cargin described the attack on the family as "extremely serious" and said he had huge concern for the public.
“It must stop, the statistics are alarming, someone is going to end up murdered." he said, "This is very serious and we are treating it as attempted murder. We are here appealing for the public's help on bringing these perpetrators to justice, the public need to come forward and give vital evidence."
Luckily for the Doherty family, both gas cylinders were empty in the attack but had they not have been, a real tragedy could have taken place according to police.
Inspector Cargin added;
“Anyone who is prepared to light a coal bunker, pick up gas cylinders and put them in close proximity have to ask themselves what they are doing. We could be sitting her today discussing murders."
